Recent
Visits |
Al Lang Field, Tampa Bay
Rays
St.
Pete's Al Lang Field has been in the news a lot
lately, but for the wrong reasons: the Tampa Bay
Rays will train there one last time in 2008 before
shifting spring operations to Charlotte County in
2009, and the old ballpark is slated to be torn
down to make way for a new waterfront home of the
Rays. Now, Al Lang Field isn't the same venue it
was in the 1940s and 1950s when it was a landmark
in spring training, but it's still a great place
to catch a spring-training game. We hope the Rays
catch the spirit of the original Al Lang in their
designs for a new ballpark, For the rest of us, a
trip to Al Lang Field will be a mandatory event in
Spring Training 2008.
Trustmark Park, Mississippi
Braves
There's
nothing wrong with Trustmark Park, the home of the
Mississippi Braves (Class AA; Southern League).
The wraparound concourse, luxury
boxes, big scoreboard and varied concessions are
all standard issue for a new minor-league ballpark
these days. So why aren't we more excited about
the two-year-old ballpark? Because there's nothing
unique about it: except for a few Southern menu
items at the concessions, there's nothing to link
the ballpark to its surroundings. At a Mississippi
Braves game, you could be watching a game anywhere
-- and going local is one of the great joys of the
minor leagues. Dustin Mattison reports.
Alliance Bank Stadium,
Syracuse Chiefs
The
biggest news at Alliance Bank Stadium, the home of
the Syracuse Chiefs (Class AAA; International
League): the current artificial turf will be
replaced by real grass. That's good news for
Syracuse baseball fans in terms of aesthetics, as
well as players who need to field on an old,
sometimes unpredictable surface. Otherwise,
Alliance Bank Stadium is a perfectly serviceable
ballpark: the Chiefs front office does things the
old-fashioned way (i.e., not much in terms of
between-innings shenanigans), but the ballpark is
a comfortable place to watch a game, and the food
is pretty good. Steve Kapsinow reports.
|
|
The
Fine Print |
Obligatory legal information:
This site is copyright 1998-2007 Kevin Reichard/August
Publications. All rights
reserved. My wife is a lawyer, so she will come and chop off
your hand in a legal fashion if you rip off this site
in any form. All logos are the property of their respective
owners. |
Broadcasts |
Virtually every MiLB team now streams broadcasts over the
Internet, which makes it easy to follow your favorite team when
you're on the road. In addition, you can catch MLB game broadcasts at
MLB.com or via XM Radio.
More
on Internet radio and TV broadcasts here! |
|
Oldsmobile Park /
Lansing Lugnuts
Year Opened |
1996 |
Capacity |
11,000 |
Architect |
HNTB |
Dimensions |
305L, 412C, 305R |
Playing Surface |
Grass |
Last Visit |
2005 |
Web Site |
http://www.lansinglugnuts.com |
Online Broadcasts |
Yes |
Online Ticket Sales |
Yes |
Phone |
517/485-4500, ext. 251 |
Ticket Prices (2005) |
Box, $8; Reserved, $7.50; Lawn, $6.50 |
League |
Midwest League |
Affiliation |
Toronto Blue Jays |
Parking |
$3 in most lots surrounding the ballpark. This is a
downtown park, and you may be able to find free parking
at meters for evening and weekend games. |
Directions |
From
496 West Downtown: Exit at the Cedar/Larch &
Pennsylvania exits. Follow the Cedar/Larch signs and
exit right onto Larch. Follow Larch and turn left onto
Shiawassee. Go one block and turn left on Cedar then
turn right onto Museum Drive. Follow signs towards
ballpark. |
Written by: |
Marc Viquez |
Rating |
|
There is something
about visiting a ballpark for the first time. My
preconceptions about Oldsmobile Park were limited
to what I have seen in pictures in reviews.
However, after my visit I realized that there was
much similar at Oldsmobile Park to other ballpark,
but at the same time a lot that was unique.
The first thing that I
noticed about the ballpark was that how colorful
and clear everything seemed to be, from its
outfield walls, inner concourses, field of play
and areas surrounding the outfield. It may have
been the time of day, (10:30 a.m., a day game
designed for school outings) or the warm weather.
Whatever the case, it was one clear look all
around the stadium.
"This is one of the
cleanest parks that I been out to," said Greg
Stafford, a Lansing resident attending the game.
"I have been to a few other parks in the area, but
you really have a good seat no matter where you
are."
The outfield section
of the ballpark is what strikes me the most. I
know many other facilities have a lot of
activities in their respective outfield concourse,
but for some reason there seemed to be more of a
party occurring at Oldsmobile Park. The concourse
stretches almost all around the whole outfield
section, and this is where you will find a picnic
area, inflatable rides for the small children and
grass seating above the outfield walls, taking up
most of the left-field area. Local buildings also
add a little bit of seasoning to the left-field
area, especially the white building with the
Lansing city seal painted on it.
There are a few menacing features at the park,
including a new 66-foot-high scoreboard in center
field and the 23-foot-high right field wall that
features additional cyclone fencing on the top for
protection for fans and passing cars on the city
streets. Balls that are hit against the fence are
home runs. The look from on top of the right-field
section is a unique view of the field, and the
same is created on the opposite side of the field
in the left-field section.
"I usually spend most of my time watching the game
from this area," said Robert Simon, a Lugnuts fan
attending the game. "I have seen a few balls fly
out of the stadium and onto the street."
The scoreboard is new to the park this season and
replaces the previous scoreboard used since the
park was open. The outfield wall below the
scoreboard features two LED boards that tell you
the time of day and the speed of the pitch.
The ballpark features the usually open infield
concourse, 26 luxury suites, concession stands
galore and team gift shop. As a bonus, you'll find
an array of retro Oldsmobile car ads painted on
the inner concourse walls from throughout the 20th
century. This provides a nice little touch along
with the cleanliness of the inner concourse
section as well.
In the end, Oldsmobile Park is a very clean and
attractive ballpark that incorporates the downtown
area nicely. The atmosphere was very festive, and
it looks like there is a lot of fun to be had at a
day at the ballpark and downtown Lansing. There is
a lot that is familiar to ballpark fans, but there
is much more unique to this ballpark.
Concessions
What you will find at most newer ballparks of
the last decade. The open concourse features
various areas for basic ballpark cuisine. You will
be able to find grilled food at the Gasoline Alley
Diner in the centerfield area. There is also the
Bullpen Bar and Grille along the third-base line.
|
Ballpark Digest Newsletter |
Want to receive news from Ballpark
Digest in your inbox?
You can sign up here! |
Contribute |
Want to show your appreciation for
Ballpark Digest?
Then consider a voluntary subscription or donation for the expenses of running the site. All the funds
collected from donations will go directly back to improving
Ballpark Digest. Read
more here. |
|